Long maldito blackouts

[reese_in_va]

In the campo here, Dominican's who "claim" they don't use much electricity, do not have a meter, their connection has been illegally hooked up, sign agreements with the power company to pay a flat fee of $300RD/ month. So that is consistant with Chips comment.
Of course they are all hooked up off our transformer......it's a good thing we have our own meter from our own line.

 

[Chip]

In the campo here, Dominican's who "claim" they don't use much electricity, do not have a meter, their connection has been illegally hooked up, sign agreements with the power company to pay a flat fee of $300RD/ month. So that is consistant with Chips comment.
Of course they are all hooked up off our transformer......it's a good thing we have our own meter from our own line.

One thing to be aware of is the electric companies are acutely aware of the losses involved in each sector - power sent minus power paid for (via master meters). Therefore, electric blackouts are directly proportional to the amount of unpaid power sent to a sector.

We actually had a year of the power going out daily until our junta went to Edenorte and told them we would tell them when people were hooking on illegally. Volia, just like that the blackouts virtually went away. I think I'll call our VP to see if we need to set up a meeting with the engineer again so our power will be more regular.

 

[rio2003]

In the campo here, Dominican's who "claim" they don't use much electricity, do not have a meter, their connection has been illegally hooked up, sign agreements with the power company to pay a flat fee of $300RD/ month. So that is consistant with Chips comment.
Of course they are all hooked up off our transformer......it's a good thing we have our own meter from our own line.

That would be a much better arrangement - a compromise - but they dont have anything like that - those that have paid have all got meters. Some have no power, my friend is running a wire from the house next door! She pays them a small amount each month towards their bill.

So many times I have nearly paid the connection fee but then I dont really want to get lumbered with the monthly bills, especially if she then decides to help out another neighbour!!!

Rio

 

[Chip]

I just called my cu?a with Edenorte, el taino puro, Ramoncito, aka "el peruano", and told him about the new houses under construction connecting free to the power line. Needless to say, he is going to send a crew to do a little "trimming", haha!

Also, I was authorized by the VP of the junta that we could provide a nice "tip" if we could get our power sent more regularly, vis a vis JW Black, haha! My buddy said that isn't necessary but we'll see what he says when he passes by the house and I discreetly hand him the bottle.

What is the saying Edeneorte says, ",,, lo que te mueve", couldn't be any more true, hahaha!

 

[reese_in_va]

The power company knows that our neighbors and "others" are wired off our transformer. That is why they had agreements signed, that does not mean they pay.
In the campo if the power co. cuts some illegal line, chances are that there will be someone climbing back up the pole to reconnect before the power company gets a mile down the hill.
We literally have lines crossing above/ over our back lawn (future pool site) and it is not safe. What can we do? Start WWIII? I'm not about to dis the community that surrounds me. I am out numbered to say the least. Eventually, we will be 100% off the grid. When that happens I will remove the transformer.
There are Haitians down the way that are powered from barbed wire strung tree to tree. This is the way it is here. I have to admit the peoples here are thrifty, crafty and also reckless. At least we pay for what we use, no more.

 

[Chip]

The power company knows that our neighbors and "others" are wired off our transformer. That is why they had agreements signed, that does not mean they pay.
In the campo if the power co. cuts some illegal line, chances are that there will be someone climbing back up the pole to reconnect before the power company gets a mile down the hill.
We literally have lines crossing above/ over our back lawn (future pool site) and it is not safe. What can we do? Start WWIII? I'm not about to dis the community that surrounds me. I am out numbered to say the least. Eventually, we will be 100% off the grid. When that happens I will remove the transformer.
There are Haitians down the way that are powered from barbed wire strung tree to tree. This is the way it is here. I have to admit the peoples here are thrifty, crafty and also reckless. At least we pay for what we use, no more.

The power companies here are becoming more and more strict about cutting peoples power lines. As my call proved, they are always not aware that power is being robbed. It is very common for the people here to somehow think it is there right to connect to the power lines scot free, so there is some collusion in the community in this regards.

Also, it is understandable you being a foreigner that you don't want to cause problems. However, if you do deceide to call frequently in order to get better service, you need to have a confidential contact on the inside who won't squeal. I for one don't care if anybody know, beside we have the leechers outnumbered anyway, haha!

 

[reese_in_va]

I won't even bother. Eventually I will get the last laugh, in the meantime I regard safety as a priority for myself and my family. I'm not about to stir things up.
Chip, you are also correct in the comment about the people feeling it is their "right" to have free electricity, this is very true.

 

[Ringo]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This sounds just like 10 yrs ago when I lived in SD. In fact, it sounds like 1986, when I first visited the DR with my new bride. :ermm:

I agree with Keith R.

From Sosua/Playa Chiquita.

As I remember:
The supplied electric 10 years ago was off mare then on. 5 years ago on more then off about 8 hours per day. This slowly became better with an almost 24/7 service from Dec.1/06 to Feb 1/08.

Now we seem bo be going back to 1998. Starting at the first of this year, power out for short periods of time. The outages slowly increased to being our from 5 to 14 hours daily for the last few weeks. I do not know how large an area this effects.

The Edenort site does not havemy area listed for planned outage. I do see that they have rolling blackouts for 3 hours in most of the North area.

EDENORTE DOMINICANA S.A.

As for the "free electricity" problem? This is nothing new and bas been debated on DR1 for years. The power suppliers and distributors know the problems but are at a loss on how to solve this very complex problem. I DO think that it will get worse ans the cost of living and oil increases. Especially after the elections.

Buying new inverter batteries and Gen. fuel, Ringo

 

[Skippy1]

Up until about 6 weeks ago I lived in an apartment where the power went off at 8.00 am and did not return until 2.00pm then off again at 3.00 and back again at 6.00 then off at 8.00pm and back at 10.00pm
most nights it went off again in the early morning while we were asleep.

this happened everyday and had been the case for at least 5 months before i arrived and is still the same now after I left. I was told by Edesur that they were punishing the barrio but could not find a away to keep the residences supplied while cutting the barrios.

Lame excuse as they have many options and can afford to reroute supplies if they wanted to. The sole purpose was to mae those that pay so fed up with those that dont they would turn them in.
As for invertors with that number and duration of blackouts they never recharge enough before the next blackout so were virtually useless.

Now I have moved I get 24/7 helps that I am now next door to the Kuwaiti ambassador I suppose......yet I still feel for those I left behind good people trying to get on and live their lives pay their way but still they are treated like dirt by Edesur.

Self sufficiency is the way to go here. Solar, wind and if possible geothermal.

Skippy1

 

[Hipocrito Mejia]

This has been going on for sometime now. When I was in DR at the end of March, I noticed a lot more blackouts than usual in La Vega and Santiago. In both places, we are supposed to be on 24hr circuits, so in the past, we used to get the odd 5 to 10 minutes blackout, but when I was there at the end of March, service was so bad that our inverters completely discharged at both places. Something else is going on, and they are now blaming it on the tornadoes.

 

[Lambada]

One for the conspiracy theorists - extrapolating from a comment here that outtages could effect logistics of getting results on May 16th.
El Nuevo Norte > Inicio

Zimbabwe anyone?

 

[Skippy1]

I think we are a long way from Zimbabwe here. At least I have not heard of any military intimidation and violence yet.
The problem with the power stems from the system used to distribute it.
Low voltage transmission makes it easy to steal. The fact that the system is open to anyone with a ladder from the street is another. Not so easy to steal the electric when the cables are buried underground. Stealing the cable becomes more time consuming too.
Skippy1

 

[reese_in_va]

I agree with Skippy, we have a way's to go before there is complete military intimidation/ violence.
Once again, lets see how the elections turn out and see what happens thereafter.
The electricity system here is WIDE open. I was amazed when the power company came cut our line off the transformer, hooked up our new meter, then connected our main supply line to the house (off the meter) with electrical tape. They left the wires dangling and did not pick up there debris from the work they did. They also put ruts in my lawn from there trucks.
These people don't care. The mentality is just not there for "customer service" nor for respect of someone else's property. This is a machine at work, so far gone and just spinning. There's no way to stop it, control it or make changes in the way it operates.
Self-sufficiency is the only way to be in this country to avoid being at other peoples mercy.

 

[Ringo]

I looked at the schedule that Edenorte has. They put the new one up yesterday? My area is still not on the schedule but we have been enjoying our daily black outs. On our second today with an hour off/half hour on/ now off. All before 10:15 AM.

My bet is with you Wguy... After the elections, I think a lot of things are going to ah...ah.. adjust.

Regards, Ringo

 

[beeza]

Maybe it has something to do with the price of oil

With oil reaching a record $120 a barrel maybe they are economising on consumption?

The way the most electricity is produced in this country is by thirsty gas turbine generators and even some old smoky diesel plants like down in Puerto Plata.

I don't think that the EDE's have adjusted their tarrifs to include this price hike in fuel, so maybe it's their way of saving a few bucks.

Just speculation on my behalf but possibly using the recent weather episodes as a convenient excuse!

 

[Hillbilly]

Today's Listin says they a re due to the METRO having two "privileged" circuits....

They take from us and give to the poor people going to the Book Fair....

Hummm,,,and when the Metro enters service????

the electricity law says that we are supposed to get 1 1/2 hours free service for every 1 hour of blackout. My horometer at the generator says over 3500 hours...so they owe me 1.5 x 3500 = 5250 hours of electricity for free!!! Think I have much chance of getting it??? Yeah, like Estrella will win the elections!!

HB

 

[Keith R]

Today's Listin says they a re due to the METRO having two "privileged" circuits....

Gee, I thought we were promised that the Metro would have its own power supply -- not pull from existing supplies. I was always skeptical of this claim. I am even more leery of such claims in the age of high cost petroleum...

 

[luzcace]

Yes we did here on the north coast, and still no black outs so far, yesterday only for about 5 minutes.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

My power was out for eight hours yesterday. I live near Sosua.

Lindsey

 

[STEVE G.]

I guess we are very lucky here in a South Coast area . In Juan Dolio and Boca Chica there are no black outs so far .